President Obama's infrastructure bill fails cloture vote 51-49.

[flpoljunkie]

The American people are, however, starting to catch on--as evidenced by President Obama's rising poll numbers--to who Republicans are and who they represent-the 1%.

Troubling still, that two Democrats voted with Republicans. Truly pathetic they can't sell a 0.7% surcharge for millionaires to their constituents to pay for this bill!

[yurbud]

1. isn't it time for Democrats in the Senate to exact some price from blue dogs and DLCers who make

the rest look weak and corrupt?

[bbgrunt]

2. agree. Unfortunately, the DLC types support them at all costs.

[yodermon]

4. can't the DSCC yank 100% funding for their campaigns, or refuse to raise money for them

or something?? Strip them of committee positions? anything??

[yurbud]

6. I remember hearing that Dems give committee chairs based on seniority alone rather than voting

so it would be hard to dislodge them.

[Davis_X_Machina]

18. Seniority...

..hasn't been the sole, or even leading, determinant of Democratic committee chairs for a generation.

[Davis_X_Machina]

13. An incumbent senator...

...from a small-ish state doesn't need the DSCC - or the RSCC.

They have stand-alone fund-raising capabilities, and may not even be able to spend all they raise.

In Maine, e.g., you couldn't spend more than $3-$4 million even if you wanted. There's not enough media to buy.

[TheWraith]

14. Right, that's helpful. Let's guarantee even FEWER Democrats in the Senate!

And let's completely ignore the Republicans! :eyes:

[yodermon]

17. if they vote with the repubs all the farking time, especially on these KEY votes

then counting them as DEMOCRATS is a purely masturbatory exercise.
enjoy.

[TheWraith]

20. Only problem is, you're wrong.

Every additional Democrat, no matter the voting record, helps secure the majority. Toss out the conservative Dems and you've got a Republican-controlled Senate which would be passing those insane bullshit bills the Republicans in the House keep coming up with, instead of blocking them.

More to the point, in many states you can have the choice of a conservative Democrat who votes with us 75% of the time, or a conservative Republican who votes with us 0% of the time. Which do you prefer?

[CakeGrrl]

3. Disappointing, but it's clear WHO is being the disappointment.

What the GOP hates is the President going on the road explaining to the voters what's going on and urging them to pay attention to the votes on the components of the AJA. He's lifting the curtain on what they're really about.

[Champion Jack]

5. Who were the two Dems?

[flpoljunkie]

7. Actually, it was Ben Nelson and 'Independent' Joe Lieberman.

All of the Republicans stuck together, of course, and voted No.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00195

[demosincebirth]

23. They ought to let Nelson fend for himself. I know the AFL-CIO won't

put any money in his coffer. I know it's tough to be a dem from a red state.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. The fact that the American people are just starting to catch on is disturbing

Have they not been paying attention until now?

[FrenchieCat]

9. Naw. They have been too busy reading and listening to reports and news bashing Obama...

Those seem to take precedence in importance
over exposing the real lowest of the low assholes!

[Cali_Democrat]

15. I just think Americans are a pretty stupid bunch when you compare to folks in other countries

At one point, 70% of Americans thought Saddam had links to the 9/11 attacks even though no evidence of that had been presented.

Look at the millions of idiots who voted for George Bush after he clearly lied us into Iraq.

[Sheepshank]

22. People jump on the negativity bandwagon

the negative news is hammered home daily, and just like any other news, it's what sells and what tends to be remembered.

Many here on DU are selling that type of negative news and those who are new or uninterested in politics here that news. Don't be surprised that those negative words actually do have meaning and consequences.

No, they are not a stupid bunch. But as in any other nation only know what propoganda they have been fed. Have you lived in any of these politically enlightened nations?

[Cali_Democrat]

24. Folks have to educate themselves

There is bullshit information all over the place. That's nothing new. It's up to the individual to sort through that information and figure out what's accurate and what's bullshit. This is something I was taught at a very young age. Propaganda and bullshit stories need to be identified.

Many Americans are not very intellectual or inquisitive so this is a problem in this country. If Americans are dumb enough to think Saddam was behind 9/11, then they have no one to blame but themselves. We are already living in a society that fails to question certain policies:

Why do we need to maintain an empire in the Middle East?
Why are we spending $700 billion per year on the military when there are no direct threats to the USA?
Why did we extend the Patriot Act and domestic surveillance when those policies permitted warrantless wiretapping of Americans?
Why are we killing US citizens abroad without trial and without due process?
Why did we really attack Libya? Any coincidence that Libya is top 10 in oil reserves? Nah.
Why were the banksters bailed out, yet homeowners were left to rot?
Why does it seem so hard to get tax increases, yet it seems much easier to cut programs like Medicare?
Why is Washington completely and totally subservient to the wealthy?

I could go on, but I think you get the point. If Americans were smarter, these policies would not have been enacted. I have stayed in the UK, Germany and Sweden. The average European is much smarter and more enlightened than the average American. It's not even debatable.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cali_Democrat]

27. LOL! WUT? "Your words help others to make stupid choices"

You're blaming me for others' lack of knowledge and understanding when it comes to the issues I listed?

This has gotta be one of the strangest replies to me on DU.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. Are there any Senate procedures that would allow caucus members to cock punch Ben Nelson?

[barbtries]

11. really

"their constituents" - the greedy owners. just sickening.

[sufrommich]

12. Ben Nelson needs to stop calling himself a democrat,

he's a republican.

[savalez]

16. Ben Nelson: 1-202-224-6551

[CJCRANE]

19. If Congress' approval rating drops any further

pretty soon it will be just the 1% who approve of them.

[Sheepshank]

21. give it a couple of days here...and It'll all be Obama's fault.

many will conveniently forget that there was a vote and the vote didn't pass cloture. It'll all be about Obama's failure to lead, failure to use the bully pulpit, failure to fart in the right direction.

[ellisonz]

25. It goes something like this: BLAME BLAME -BLAME OBAMA.